Industry News

The NSW Government has initiated expressions of interest for the construction of the Sydney Gateway Project after reaching a $2.6 billion agreement with the Sydney Airport Corporation late last year. 

Modern society finds itself at a crossroads in terms of infrastructure development. With talks and developments already underway to implement a digital ecosystem of tracking technologies, cameras, sensors and algorithms to greater optimise our way of life, the era of the ‘Smart City’ is upon us. Integrating our built surroundings into a networked collective promises to provide its denizens with countless conveniences at the expense of uninterrupted user surveillance. But can this smartly integrated utopia of the future become realised without surrendering our right to privacy? 

The Owners Corporation Network (OCN), the representative body for unit owners and the Australian Institute of Architects are mutually advocating for bolder reforms on construction processes to be implemented to guarantee the quality of construction and improvements for consumer protection.  

A newly introduced competition pits workers, companies and building managers across the nation against one another to see who can improve and outshine competitors with their green credentials.

 

To many the delight of Sydney drivers, State government announced Sydney’s new M4 tunnels will be opening on Saturday morning. The official launch of these tunnels will bypass the nightmarish traffic of Parramatta Road starting next week, cutting up to 20 minutes of travel time for cars seeking to commute from Sydney CBD to Parramatta. 

A declining workforce, sparse birth rates and an ageing population are just some of the problems confronting Japan in the 21st century. Since data gathering began in 1899, the Japanese government has cited the birthrate to be at a historic low. Japan's population has been in decline for a number of years with leading policymakers and experts beginning to speculate on its possible economic and social repercussions. 

Over the past decade, construction industry experts have been discussing the potential for Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) to open new doors for the practice. While the benefits of VR and AR integrated training, marketing and planning are some of the more discernible aspects of the technology, their ability to simulate real-world situations to provide insights that other established technologies cannot offer could maximise worker efficiency and safety training. 

To say it has been a tough year for Australian property owners would be a hefty understatement for the countless residential apartment owners who have been unwillingly evacuated from their premises af ...

Amidst a climate control crisis gripping the world, the construction industry has become increasingly environmentally-conscious as reflected in increased investments in recyclable-produced construction materials, sustainable building practices and integrating renewable technologies. Most recently, building developers and multinational corporations have pledged to become carbon neutral. But what does this title entail and will its efforts be enough to reverse some of the already detrimental effects of climate change? 

From providing geospatial survey data to building homes with the assistance of on board concrete-spraying hoses, since their first commercial application in the 1980s, drones are still commonly showcased as military or hobbyist tech but their application in the construction business is looking increasingly promising.

Tuesday marked a new historical low for Australian interest rates as Australia’s central bank lowered the cost of borrowing for its second straight month on Tuesday. After conducting a regular policy meeting, The Reserve Bank of Australia announced rates will be cut by another 25 basis points to one percent. 

An architect duo at the forefront of a architect-designed social housing movement and community focused projects, an entertainer with a knack for comedy and design, and a sustainability research centre fueling innovation for a greener future were but some of the highlights of those that were recently honoured at this years 2019 2019 National Prizes at the National Architecture Conference in Melbourne.

Victoria is expecting to conduct on-road trials of connected and automated vehicle technology. Elaborating further on the matter, Roads Minister of Victoria Jaala Pulford explained that road trials st ...

Monday night marked a significant milestone for the City of Sydney after a tram from the Sydney Light rail project made its way down Sydney’s central business district.  Accompanied by a convoy of con ...

Tokyo 2020: 17 days, half a million international travelers, and a countless sum of security concerns are but some of the challenges the Tokyo Olympic Games committee are preparing to tackle in prepar ...

The construction industry has regularly been cited as one of the world’s most fragmented sectors and has regularly been challenged to improve its efficiency, productivity, and to embrace the opportunities presented by emerging technologies. But how do built environment professionals and the construction industry recognise and capitalise upon the new school of technology such as blockchain and smart contracts?

NSW infrastructure budget sores to record highs as state prepares to launch it's largest ever commitment to infrastructure

It is with great pleasure that we present the 21st edition ofBuildIT™, the Resource Guide for Builders and Renovators. 

Oliver Kinross and ark:media have partnered together to produce the Australian Construction Awards Commemorative Annual.  This colourful, high impact publication celebrates Australia's $134 billion co ...

$200m Funding Announced For Sydney Infrastructure & Urben Renewal Projects

The City of Sydney has recently announced that over the next financial year they will spend in the region of $200m on major infrastructure projects. The main beneficiaries will be projects set in the Green Square neighbourhood along with improvements to the environmental performance of the city as a whole and the Light Rail.

vDespite the propsed $100 billion investment by the Federal Government for infrastructure, prominent economists have claimed that Australia should invest more heavily in infrastructure. This claim has lead to the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) into supporting the cause. The announchement specifically referenced calls for infrastructure investment to be evaluated by an independent agency.

The North West Metro, Australia's first fully accessible railway, will open to passengers on Sunday 26th of May 2019. This service will run from Rouse Hill to Chatswood and will be a turn up and go service. The train will run every 4 minutes on peak hours.

Looking to streamline and grow Australia's freight network, the Australian Federal Government has outlined a plan which involves efficiently collecting and analysing freight data. Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack backs this initiative claiming that “We know better data makes better decisions and that means jobs and opportunities can flow.”

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has tasked the Productivity Commission to conduct a review into the far-reaching transport reforms, with a focus on the safety and efficiency of the national freight network. The COAG looks to establish a national regulatory system. The transform reform was designed to provide productivity gains for the economy while reducing the compliance burden on the transport industry via cutting fees and duplication of work. The Productivity Commission will look at whether the initiative is actually delivering productivity benefits and safety. The Commission is due to report to Government within twelve months of commencement. It will undertake broad public consultation, and invite public submissions.